Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lija and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,974 in Lija, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,974

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lija and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lija and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,974 per month in Lija vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Lija $1,974
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,101 per month in Lija vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Lija $3,101
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,228 per month in Lija vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Lija $4,228
Phuket $3,154

Lija costs about 54% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lija sits 45% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €20.05

$4.47 ฿151

402.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.9

$32.41 ฿1,093

179.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.89

$8.81 ฿297

51.31%

Cappuccino

$3.20 €2.86

$2.83 ฿95.4

13.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$0.87 ฿29.40

168.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$0.49 ฿16.65

291.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €5.10

$2.56 ฿86.3

123.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.05

$3.68 ฿124

84.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.66 ฿55.9

-20.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.46 ฿49.29

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €3.05

$1.50 ฿50.5

128.00%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.78

$2.09 ฿70.5

102.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.18

$19.07 ฿643

-46.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.55

$3.30 ฿111

258.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 €16.46

$10.91 ฿368

69.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.35

$2.93 ฿98.8

27.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$1.69 ฿57.0

65.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 €3.54

$2.25 ฿75.7

76.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$2.08 ฿70.0

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.51 ฿51.0

23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 €3.00

$1.38 ฿46.51

143.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.07 ฿35.95

106.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.52 ฿17.50

186.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 €5.52

$4.20 ฿142

47.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €5.22

$18.79 ฿634

-68.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.82 ฿61.4

31.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.84 ฿95.8

-19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.45 ฿48.97

68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.02 ฿102

31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.02 ฿34.32

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.80 €29.26

$3.69 ฿124

788.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.47 ฿49.75

3.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K €25.1K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

5.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.9K €34.8K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

45.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$157 €140

$96.4 ฿3,250

63.06%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$31.50 €28.10

$11.26 ฿380

179.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 €25.87

$16.85 ฿568

72.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €50.6

$67.2 ฿2,268

-15.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 €10.11

$7.50 ฿253

51.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$272 €243

$476 ฿16.1K

-42.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

9.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 €51.5

$62.4 ฿2,103

-7.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.6 €60.3

$28.41 ฿958

137.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.0

$94.3 ฿3,180

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$85.8 ฿2,894

52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,075

$716 ฿24.1K

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €741

$491 ฿16.6K

69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 €1,363

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 €1,336

$1,431 ฿48.3K

4.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 €3,969

$4,175 ฿140.8K

6.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,958 €2,639

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-2.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

5.57

-27.29%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lija: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lija

$830 42.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 40.9% $339

Groceries & Markets

Lija

$341 17.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 22% $75

Eating Out

Lija

$317 16.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61.6% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lija

$218 11%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 42.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Lija

$165 8.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 26.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Lija

$79 4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 3.7% $2.9

Getting Around

Lija

$23 * 1.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 213% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Lija versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lija versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Lija

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

00:26 12:26 AM

6 h ahead of Lija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lija Phuket 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lija
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lija vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,974 in Lija, $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,961 per month in Lija and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,205 in Lija.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,974 in Lija and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $272 per month in Lija and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Lija at $1,974. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lija it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,974 in Lija. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.